Point of Rocks marks the historic Butterfield Overland Trail's first rest stop from Fort Davis to El Paso. The imposing rock formation rises from the high desert as a modern landmark on the Davis Mountains Scenic Loop, Highway 166.
I painted this en plein air, on location, while Jim sat in the truck reading, ready to protect me from anything that might try to sneak up and eat me.
The big, ancient pinon pine that I refused to relocate in my composition (even though it was a challenge to make it "work" so close to the center of my painting) died the next spring. I'm glad I did its portrait without moving it to another spot in the rocks. It saw a lot of history right where it was.
- Framed: 20 x 23 x 2 in (50.8 x 58.42 x 5.08 cm)
- Subject Matter: Landscape
- Collections: Far West Texas Landscapes, Plein Air